by Shay Carr
The University of West Georgia Center for Diversity and Inclusion hosted the 5th annual Martin Luther King Jr. program on Thursday, January 16, 2014, at 7:00 p.m. in the Campus Center ballroom. The program featured Dr. Calvin Mackie, President and CEO of Channel ZerO Group, LLC, as a guest speaker.
Dr. Calvin Mackie
Darryl Forges, a senior at UWG, presided over the event. He introduced Dr. Kyle Marrero, president of UWG, who read a quote from Dr. King and then personally thanked Dr. Mackie for attending the event. The United Voices Gospel Choir followed him and moved the entire room singing their version of “He is Wonderful.” According to Darryl, the gospel choir was “one of the best and most moving parts of the night.”
Many student organizations attended the celebration. Dana Jones, a senior at UWG and president of the Student Government Association, says that “SGA promotes diversity by upholding Dr. King’s message” in order to keep his memory alive. She was followed by Mary Lewallen, UWG senior and president of the Student Veterans Association who also quoted Dr. King.
“If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward,” Mary recites. She also explained to the audience how important this message is to her organization and even more for UWG as a whole. Hayley Wilson, another UWG senior and president of the Pan Hellenic Council, spoke about empowering women and how Dr. King’s message should influence all sororities. The Judo Club was also represented.
A short presentation played and showcased many organizations on campus helping and giving back to the community, emphasizing historically African-American sororities and fraternities. “UWG is a vital part in our community and it is important that our students understand the difference they can make,” adds Ashley Lewis, the associate director of the Center for Diversity and Inclusion.
Dr. Mackie began his presentation by saying that many students do not speak up enough when it comes to racial subjects and fears that they may lose their voices when trying to progress in the future. He gave an energetic and vibrant speech on his life including how so much has changed in this country because of Dr. King. He encouraged African American men to continue going to college and receiving degrees. He concluded in saying that many can learn from Dr. King’s message and that leadership and perseverance should be traits that we all strive for.
